Project: 12 second daily driver

[306Power]

Well here goes nothing, The car is 1997 GT. This is my first real project build on a car so its nothing too crazy. My goal it to hit 12s while keeping it lookin and sounding like a mustang with just exhaust. Still want all the comforts of daily drivers leather, cold a/c, nice stero, power everything. I bought the car about a year and a half ago and have since just had the few common bolt ons and 3:73s on it. I have PI heads/cams/intake, 24 lb injectors, 80 mm maf, and a 100 zex dry shot of nitrous so far just waiting to get put on. Im currently doing the suspension, just installed some steeda x2 ball joints, just got the Eibach pro system delivered going to try and see what I can do with that tonight. I also have some subframes waiting to get put on also. Just a need a few more things for the PI swap and nitrous install.

Things needed still:
- Windsor 4.6 valve covers
-255 LPH fuel pump
-Adj. fuel pres. reg.
- Centerforce Dual friction clutch
- Bigger throttle body/intake plenum
-180 Thermostat
-Colder plugs
-Nitrous brackets/switches
- Fattest DRs I can fit on the back
-Handheld tuner/dyno tune

Ill post up a few starting pics here once I load them onto my laptop, this is my first somewhat of a build so what takes you guys 2 hours to do will take me 4 but Im hoping with the help of some great friends and great people on here this will be finished before Christmas.

[306Power]

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[306Power]

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[1992MustangDW]

Pretty cool, with some juice and a little extra help it should get into the 12's. If I was you I would run a 150 wet kit.

[306Power]

Well I would have did a wet system but I got a hell of a deal on here for a dry shot so I just went with that. I thought about doing a bigger shot but was worried that my tranny or rear end would bite the dust. I ended up getting the front springs out tonight with some cheap ass spring compressors from auto zone that sucked but o well they ended up working.

[1992MustangDW]

I have don springs on those cars b-4. To get the new ones in just get a big pry bar and fold lower control arm down.

[306Power]

Well I got the one spring in today, I basically did what you said only I had my dad push down on the control arm as hard as he could with his foot and I jammed it in there with my hand. Jacked it up then tightened the sway bar end link down. I found out that my spring had completly snapped off into the isolater and somehow I didnt feel a difference driving or hear or notice anything. I dont know what the hell Im doing wrong but for whatever reason the strut will not come out. Ive broken the biggest screw driver I have trying to get that top bolt off the nut.

[Ryan218]

Well I got the one spring in today, I basically did what you said only I had my dad push down on the control arm as hard as he could with his foot and I jammed it in there with my hand. Jacked it up then tightened the sway bar end link down. I found out that my spring had completly snapped off into the isolater and somehow I didnt feel a difference driving or hear or notice anything. I dont know what the hell Im doing wrong but for whatever reason the strut will not come out. Ive broken the biggest screw driver I have trying to get that top bolt off the nut.

heat it with a torch. and then use the impact on it.

[306Power]

I ended up just dropping the whole strut out of the tower, now Im going to see if I can get the nut off. If not Ill have to torch it.

[4point6gt]

looking good man. i dont think u will have any problems hitting the 12 sec mark with the spray and the full pi swap.

[306Power]

looking good man. i dont think u will have any problems hitting the 12 sec mark with the spray and the full pi swap.

Thanks, thats the plan. If I had a few more bucks this would go by so much quicker. But Im buying parts week by week so it may take a few monthes before Im all said and done.

[306Power]

So today with some help, I put the front end back together. Everything was going smoothly until I lowered it onto the floor and popped the hood to find out the strut rod is coming up WAY to far into the tower, I have no idea what the problem is or how to fix that. Any help would be appreciated and Ill post up pics of what Im talking about here in a few.

[306Power]

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[NXcoupe]

You put it back together wrong. I believe you have either left a part out or put the cc plate back together incorrectly. There should have been a part that went on the strut first, before you put it up through the cc plate.

[NXcoupe]

Oh, and you did the right thing by going with a dry kit. Works much better than a wet kit on a 4.6. I have tuned quite a few on the dyno with nitrous and the dry kits just yield, safer, better results than a wet kit.
You will for sure be in the 12's with traction, should be close without the juice. One guy I tuned runs low 12's on a similar combo with long tubes on a 98. that's without juice and through an auto. Traction will be your key.

[306Power]

Really? Thats promising to hear lol If I could hit low 13s off the bottle and low 12s on it I would be really satisified. I know something has to be missing on the strut though, I put the yellow bumpstop on it then the dust boot over it. I would think there would be some kind of retaining nut to keep it locked under the tower but nothing else came with it. When I put it together I had the jack under the control arm to simulate the car being on the ground and put the strut onto the spindle then tightened it in the tower then once I lowered the car to the ground and popped the hood they just rose up.

[cstreu1026]

You will for sure be in the 12's with traction, should be close without the juice. One guy I tuned runs low 12's on a similar combo with long tubes on a 98. that's without juice and through an auto. Traction will be your key.

12.38 @ 108 foot breaking it with an auto.

And another local guy went 12.59 @ 107 with little more than a 125 shot from a dry kit and a couple of other bolts on in his 96GT without the PI parts.

Its almost enough to make me want to put an auto in my car now.

[306Power]

Heres a few pics of the strut under the tower. I know my dumbass some how did something wrong if you have any ideas let me know, thanks.

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[NXcoupe]

Yep, the factory dust cover off the strut is actually the lower cc plate cushion stop. You need to cut the plastic off of it and put the steel/rubber piece on top of the strut, then slide it up into the cc plate. that will fix it. been there done that got the tshirt. If you want to do away with all that heavy shit, get a set of aftermarket cc plates, they really are needed on lowered car.

[306Power]

Yep, the factory dust cover off the strut is actually the lower cc plate cushion stop. You need to cut the plastic off of it and put the steel/rubber piece on top of the strut, then slide it up into the cc plate. that will fix it. been there done that got the tshirt. If you want to do away with all that heavy shit, get a set of aftermarket cc plates, they really are needed on lowered car.

Thats all I need to do is cut off the top part of the factory dust cover? Makes sense now lol, I might just get some CC plates while Im at it also. Thanks man!

[NXcoupe]

no problem, get it fixed and post up pics of it.

[306Power]

Will do, Gonna take care of it tonight after work... I ended up just buying some Windsor valve covers also from a guy off Modularfords.com thanks to cstreu1026 directing me to the deal. $155 for a wet sanded and high temp painted silver with a chrome 4.6 liter cap and all grommets and bolts.

[cstreu1026]

Those should look pretty nice.

[306Power]

I know looked like he did some real quality work on them. I couldnt pass it up you dont see a nice set of windsor 4.6s like that too often.

[306Power]

Well took care of the problem tonight, I had trouble getting the nuts on the top of the strut because they were to big to be able to get a wrench on the top of the strut, so I just used the factory ones. Would have took pics but it was getting kinda late and I still have to do the rear later this week.

[NXcoupe]

That's good news. cool!

[306Power]

So I thought I would finish the rear today, WRONG. I got the shocks out no problem. I unbolted the the nut off the control arm bolt to get the spring out, but the bolt itself is stuck in the control arm and I dont have enough room between the brake dust cover to give it a good whack out. Any ideas on this one? Thanks guys and gals.

[306Power]

Alright nevermind I ended up getting the spring out and in my own way, would finish up today but I have a fasntasy football draft later. Will hopefully finish tomorrow night after work. I cant seem to figure where in the hell the yellow bump stop goes for the shock though? Probably a dumb question but I dont see where it will fit for enough threads to show.

[306Power]

So I finally get everything finished and the car is driveable but when I took it out for a drive the front wheels squeal like no other at higher mph usually 35 and up. The alignment is a little off but the steering doesnt feel bad, is it just the alignment that I may not feel in the steering? Or is it some other problem I have now encountered?

[306Power]

Alright well I finally finished her and got it aligned. Im at work right now so I cant really take pics but will over the weekend. The driver side rear does sit about 1/4 inch lower than the passenger side rear, but Im not to worried about that as typically most of the weight is on the drivers side. Plus Ill be adding that 10 lb bottle to the passenger side trunk:coo1:.

[306Power]

I was wrong the rear sits equal, just didnt realize the one side of my driveway is lower than the other lol. Heres some pics.

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[306Power]

Also got the valve covers in a week or two ago, here they are.

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